Amazon dominates a new list of companies buying up lucrative online real
estate in the form of web address suffixes.

The internet shopping website has received 26 complaints from Australia’s representation alone on a 50-nation strong panel advising the international internet address regulator on its attempts to secure exclusive rights to “strings”, including .app .mobile .music and .shop, that follow a website’s main address.

The Government Advisory Committee (Gac) makes non-binding recommendations to the international internet regulator the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (Icann).

Companies such as L’Oréal and Johnson & Johnson faced similar complaints over competition concerns from Australia regarding applications for .beauty .hair and .makeup in L’Oréal’s case and .baby from Johnson & Johnson.

IG Group, the online spread betting firm, was criticised for the same reason for its application for .broker.

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Another complaint against Amazon arose from Brazil and Peru over an application for the .amazon string, whose representatives argued that giving Amazon specific rights would threaten “The use of this domain for purposes of public interest related to the protection, promotion and awareness raising on issues related to the Amazon biome.” It would also, they added, “Hinder the possibility of use of this domain to congregate web pages related to the population inhabiting the geographical region.”

The UK Government is considering three applications for the .rugby address and the International Rugby Board (IRB) contended it should be given priority over Atomic Cross, a start-up designed to purchase and run website gTLDs, because "The applicant does not represent the global community of rugby players, supporters and stakeholders."

The Swiss Government is protesting SwissAir’s attempt to buy up the .swiss string, claiming the suffix should “benefit all members of the Swiss community.”